King Rikkai Dai
by Under A Cloud
Summary: The title 'Emperor' wasn't unique to the boys of Rikkai Dai Fuzoku. The girls as well, were indispensable in the pages of Rikkai Dai's glorious history. (OC girls team, 'Higher Than The Wind' verse)
1. Emperors Ain't All Men

Published because I felt the urge to publish something on Valentines' Day… **'Higher Than The Wind' verse** except this focuses more on tennis and the girls team. Don't tell me that I'm digging my own grave, I know I am. Someday I'll complete everything I've put up on this site. Someday.

There **are** some pairings that I've already decided on in this story, but romance is really quite secondary.

Summary: The title 'Emperor' wasn't unique to the boys of Rikkai Dai Fuzoku. The girls as well, were indispensable in the pages of Rikkai Dai's glorious history. (OC girls team, 'Higher Than The Wind' verse)

Disclaimer: I don't own PoT.

**King Rikkai Dai**

* * *

**Chapter 1: Emperors Ain't All Men**

* * *

"Have you decided on the members for the winter training camp?" asked Izumi Hana as she casually stirred her drink with her straw. Seated across of her was a striking black-haired girl also dressed in the same olive-green blazer over a crisp white shirt, completed with an elegant skirt of the same colour and dark, polished school shoes.

They were students of the prestigious Rikkai Dai Fuzoku.

"Yes, aside from Leiko who senpai recommended, I've selected the following members," replied Yanagi Asaitsugi, daintily pushing a piece of paper forward, "I've written down their tentative positions as well."

Hana glanced down at the list in front of her. Even before she reached the second line, the third year former captain found herself furrowing her brows deeply.

"Tsugi," Hana began, pointing to the name written next to Tsugi's own name in the row denoted 'singles 1', her voice a little unsure, "this girl…are you certain?"

"Much like how senpai believed in me, I believe in Sayuki as well," Tsugi smiled, "senpai, if you have time to spare, come down to the courts on one of our practice days and you'll see. Sayuki is a talent who might even surpass Senjirou-senpai and perhaps…" Tsugi's voice trailed off. The light in her forest green eyes dwindled.

Hana appeared to be unaware of the change in atmosphere.

"I won't interfere with your decision, the club's in your hands. Tsugi," Hana glanced at Tsugi and reminded her junior in a gently admonishing tone, "you're the captain of Rikkai Dai Fuzoku's girls tennis club."

Said girl was startled. Lowering her head, a pensive smile surfaced on her face and she said, "yes, Izumi-senpai."

Hana rapped a finger on the table and resumed browsing through the list. After a while, she looked up with a smile of approval, commending, "you have an eye for talent. Since you spoke so highly of Heitenshirou Sayuki, I'll look forward to her performance."

"If you had seen her before, senpai, you wouldn't have selected me in the first place," said Tsugi, recalling the only first year she had selected with fond memory, "she has endless potential."

"You piqued my interest," said Hana as she lazily rested her head on her fist, "I'll find time to pop by the courts with Heibi someday."

"Kichi and I will be waiting," Tsugi sneaked a glance at her watch, "ah, the time…senpai, I apologize. I have another appointment in half an hour time."

"Go on, I'll stay here by myself for a while," said Hana with a wave of her hand, "Tsugi, you might feel that I'm being a nuisance but I have to repeat this again: you're the captain of Rikkai Dai's girls tennis club. You're leading a team of Emperors. I trust you, however…Do remember to set your priorities right."

"I understand, Izumi-senpai, I won't disappoint you," Tsugi bowed respectfully. Hana's words may sound harsh, but she had her and her team's best interests in mind, "I'll take my leave first. Good bye, Izumi-senpai."

"Good bye, Tsugi."

After the second year left, Hana looked at the list once more.

_Singles 1: Yanagi Asaitsugi/ Heitenshirou Sayuki_

_Singles 2: Yoshikawa Leiko_

_Singles 3: Yamatari Kichi_

_Doubles 1: Jyuuseiya Nisaki and Fujiwara Chisaki_

_Doubles 2: Penelope Russette and Wakanari Naomi_

Hana smiled tenderly. Except for the black horse Heitenshirou Sayuki, this was more or less the next generation of regulars she had envisioned.

She had fulfilled her agenda during her time in office; it was now her juniors' time to shine and defend Rikkai Dai's name. They were a school of the Emperors, and the title 'Emperor' was never limited to the boys of Rikkai Dai Fuzoku. The girls as well, had always stood at the top of their games.

Because _well_, Emperors ain't all men, especially in a school like Rikkai Dai Fuzoku, where girls were as much ambitious and skilled as boys in their fields.

* * *

This will be a very, _very_ long story. Do read and review :)


	2. Winter Training Camp (1)

**King Rikkai Dai**

* * *

**Chapter 2: Winter Training Camp (1)**

* * *

At evening, an olive-green travel bus almost camouflaged by the thick canopy above the head of the vehicle pulled up in front of a rundown tennis club.

"We're here?" asked Fujiwara Chisaki as she climbed off the bus. Her topaz-coloured eyes shimmered with a curious shine as she inspected the building before her; in her pale hands, she clutched two duffel bags when placed tip to tip could possibly be even taller than her. "Waah…this place is pretty…_amazing_."

Except, she didn't sound too convinced by herself.

Another lilac-eyed girl with short, dark green hair styled in a boyish version who wasn't much taller than the blue-haired girl who spoke earlier on gingerly alighted from the bus. Unlike Chisaki who was slender and petite, Wakanari Naomi had a comparatively much more muscular build. Upon seeing the state of the tennis club, her lips automatically took on a frown. "…Amazing, indeed." Naomi agreed dryly.

"This where we training?" Penelope Russette hopped off the bus and asked in broken Japanese. Bright blue eyes on a foreigner face completed with the characteristic sharp nose and long shiny golden hair studied the tattered three storey building intently, and after a while she concluded in her native tongue English, "_the school must be going through a difficult time._"

"…" The fourth girl with long, dark purple hair alighted wordlessly, haunting red eyes reflecting nothing in its depths.

"Nisaki, over here!" Chisaki waved to her doubles partner who just got off the bus, and the latter who was called silently made her way towards her doubles partner.

"Ehh–? This place in a lot better than I thought. When I heard about the conditions of our destination from Saitou-senpai over the phone, I had a rickety old shed pictured in my mind," the brunette behind Nisaki blurted out unwittingly, her eyes, like Tsugi's were green; however, unlike Tsugi's forest greens, Yamatari Kichi's eyes were a sparkling green resembling the seawaters of Bali's cleanest beach.

Actually, Kichi's initial assessment of the tennis club wasn't too far off…the exterior of the club was weathered by age and seemed ready to fall apart at any moment.

"Shuichin Tennis Club was established in 1989 in response to the suddenly surge in popularity of tennis in Japan. It was very popular amongst the rich people. However, its reputation has since then declined with time and it is facing some financial issues at the moment. The previous owner and creator of the club had recently retired, leaving his nephew in charge of the club," a tall, bespectacled girl with striking shoulder-length orange hair and bright eyes resembling turquoise fluently recited the background information of the shabby looking club.

"It's just like you to be informed about everything, Yoshikawa," said Naomi, unimpressed.

In response to Naomi's acrimony, Yoshikawa Leiko remained dignified and didn't even lift a brow.

"Please don't make a scene before the training camp had even started. Naomi, if there's something that need be said, say it to me," Tsugi, who was the last to alight along with Heitenshirou Sayuki reprimanded gently.

"Y-yes, buchou, I apologize for my behaviour," at the sight of the team's captain, Naomi's attitude took a 180 degrees turn and she even stuttered over her words. Much to everyone's surprise, the splenetic younger sister of the boys team's former vice-captain was very willing to knuckle under Tsugi. At the moment, when the team has yet to get to know each other, Naomi was already extremely defensive of Tsugi.

Leiko smiled elusively at the sight of their freshly promoted captain still clumsily trying to fall into her role. As of now, it was still too early to tell whether Yanagi Asaitsugi was a leader worthy of her service.

_Zzzzzz…_

It was Tsugi's phone vibrating. Taking it out of her pocket, she naturally pressed 'receive'.

"Sanada, have you and your team arrived already? Yes, yes, I understand – ah, did you receive my text message yesterday night? I was a bit worried since you didn't reply…I'm standing at the entrance of the club at the moment, so I'll meet you and the rest at the central lounge in half an hour time – ha? Okay, understood, I'll be there as soon as possible."

After finishing her conversation with Sanada, Tsugi looked up and announced, "sorry but you only have 10 minutes to unpack. I'll be reading out the room allocation now. Leiko and Sayuki, room 201. Chisaki and Naomi, room 202. Nisaki and Penelope, room 203. Kichi and myself, room 204. _Ja_, follow closely behind me!" Tsugi clapped her hands together and dashed through the doors like a whirlwind sweeping across the yard, leaving her perturbed teammates no choice but to follow behind her.

**~x~**

10 minutes later, the girls team was in the central lounge along with the Rikkai Dai boys tennis team and four unfamiliar faces.

"I'm sorry that you had to wait for us, senpai-tachi," Tsugi bowed and apologized profusely to the four seniors-cum-organizers of the camp who arrived ahead of time.

The winter training camp was a tradition of Rikkai Dai Fuzoku to gather and train the next generation of regulars. High school seniors were put in charge of admin and planning while the school provided the financial muscle.

"We just arrived too; don't worry about it," Hayazashi Yoko smiled warmly at the girls team, "I've heard about you. Yanagi Asaitsugi the 'Illusionist', right? Your match at the Nationals this year was spectacular."

"It was pure luck that Umiheiro wasn't at her best conditions that time, otherwise…I'd have suffered a terrible loss," said Tsugi honestly with a modest smile.

"You're a humble one," Yoko commented, "alright, since everyone's here we'll officially begin the annual winter training camp now. Here's your first task: make dinner for everyone tonight. Lin, Kobayashi, Uehara and I here won't be offering any help. If you don't manage to make anything edible – well, sorry to say you'll just starve tonight."

"… Ha!?"

**~x~**

Before they were even properly introduced to each other, the two teams were thrown into the kitchen. Looking at the clock it was past 7 already; after the 3 hours bus ride to the tennis club, all of them were famished and so Sanada and Tsugi quickly came up with the menu and hurriedly assigned the members to their respective roles.

Unfortunately…the cooking process didn't go as smoothly as they hoped for.

"_Oi_, Penelope, can't you cut the onion somewhere else? My eyes are starting to tear up!" complained Naomi in one corner of the kitchen.

"Marui! What do you think you're doing with that _ladle_ full of sugar? Potato and cabbage broth does _not_ need sugar at all!" was Sanada's booming voice from across the room, "and _you_, Akaya! Where do you think you're going? Your cabbages aren't done yet!"

"Masaharu, even if we are marinating the meat, _that _seems a little overboard – on a side note, why are you gagging Jackal?" Renji raised an eyebrow and questioned his grey-haired teammate who was about to drop a plate full of sliced beef into a pot smeared with a suspicious-looking red paste (there was a strange odour in the air); in his other hand, poor Jackal who had been assigned the same task as him was desperately flailing his arms while being oppressed.

"…Chisaki," Nisaki addressed the exuberant blue-haired girl who was duking it out with a whole chicken and pinched her forehead, "the instruction was to chop the chicken, stop mincing it – even if you do, _don't_ mince the bones along with the meat."

"Eh?" Chisaki turned to her doubles partner with droopy eyes, "I…am not chopping the chicken?"

"…Never mind. Forget that I even said anything."

Chisaki resumed happily mincing the chicken.

"Ahhhhh! How do I make the rice cooker work? I already turned on the switch!" Kichi wailed frantically.

"…Yamatari," Leiko felt her veins throbbing beneath her skin, "_plug in_ the rice cooker first." Turning her head to the tiny second year with short light greyish-purple hair framing her heart-shaped face, Leiko resisted the urge to sigh. "Sayuki, haven't you used a stove before? Turn on the gas if you intend to cook that – on second thoughts, let me inspect the contents first."

Amidst all the ruckus and mayhem, Tsugi and Yagyuu were probably the only ones making decent progress.

"Can you hand me the salt, Yagyuu-san?" asked Tsugi, and the item she requested for was immediately delivered to her, "thank you."

"You seem to be very familiar with the kitchen, Yanagi-san," observed the 'Gentleman'. Unlike the clumsy movements of the other girls, she was very much at ease.

"I help out at home sometimes," replied Tsugi as she busied herself with stir frying the vegetables, "the pepper, Yagyuu-san – ah, thank you."

Scanning across the room, Yagyuu found that the situation was more or less…a complete pandemonium. _On the bright side_, Yagyuu turned his head back to the seemingly only decent female in the room, _at least_ there'd be one edible dish on the table later.

**~x~**

No matter what sort of terror happened in the little kitchen of Shuichin Tennis Club, dinner was eventually served onto the table.

"This…is chicken curry?" There was clear uncertainty in Lin's voice when she picked out a clump of meat with tints of grey she didn't recognize from her bowl.

"…It's our improvised recipe; _minced _chicken curry," at her wits' end, Tsugi could only smile awkwardly. Her initial reaction wasn't much better than Lin's when she first saw the product of Chisaki and Nisaki's cooking.

Nodding unsurely, Lin took a bite out of the meatball (?) and boldly chewed it. After a while, she spat out the bolus of chicken and strange ingredient unknown to her with an equally awkward smile, "sorry, I tried."

Chisaki's face was red with embarrassment and she hanged down her head in shame.

"Beef steak?" Kobyashi poked at the piece of meat which was burnt to a charred crisp and yet the remnant of red from the marinating process was still visible along with a strong scent of chilli in the air. He had a strange expression on his face, "did you dump the entire packet of chili powder into the pot?"

Nio grinned guiltlessly, while Jackal tried to hide his face from sight.

"I thought this broth looked fine – until woah! I understand if you're trying to kill us after the training camp, but isn't it a bit early to be executing your revenge?" Uehara held up a spoonful of the soup and joined in the complaint against their juniors' cooking.

…Sanada gripped his fists, smoke was rising from the top of his head. It turned out that that time he intercepted Marui was his already nth time adding more sugar to the pot.

"So it'd seem…that only the stir fried vegetables are edible," Yoko concluded, reaching out for another serving of said dish, "who was it that cooked the vegetables?"

"Ah…that'd be Yagyuu-san and me," answered Tsugi.

"Yanagi-san was the main cook," Yagyuu offered.

"Not a bad job at all – or maybe it's because there are all the other dishes for comparison," Yoko praised them with a grin, "well, since you people have done such a bad job…your punishment will be as follows: everyone will be in charge of cooking everyday till the end of this camp. Today, you have to finish everything you've made by yourself. Meet us at the central lounge in an hour time," looking at the other high school seniors, she said, "Let's go."

Yoko, Lin, Kobayashi and Uehara all stood up together and left the room.

…

…

After the seniors' departure, a battle of chopsticks exploded for the only edible dish on the table – the in fact very mundane and commonplace stir fried vegetables.

**~x~**

"Good thing we prepared instant noodle huh?" said Uehara as he slurped his noodles, "in comparison to that broth, this is _heavenly_!"

"I just hope that we won't deplete our entire reserve," Kobayashi expressed his worries, "ration is limited, you know."

"Mm…we'll see," Yoko smiled, "don't you think they should be the one fretting? For us, even if all means fail…we can just call for reinforcement."

"True," Lin nodded – with some difficulty due to her eating motion – in agreement.

"Ah…I hope they are ready," Uehara rubbed his belly after he finished eating, "come to think about it, I wonder how it'd be like if Yukimura is here huh?"

Along with Sanada, Yukimura knocked Uehara and Kobayashi down from their pedestals. They were probably the only captain and vice-captain to be eliminated by a pair of first years during their time in office – or rather, _they were the ones who chose to step down_. Rikkai Dai's results in the last 2 Nationals were testimonial to their foresight.

"Probably we wouldn't be stuck eating cup noodles," Kobayashi sighed, dearly missing his junior, "not sure if he can cook, but if he's here, the situation would be entirely different."

"He's different isn't he, Yukimura Seiichi," Yoko nodded, recalling her sparse memory with the current captain of the boys tennis team. Even back when he was only a first year, he was different from those around him.

"He's diagnosed with a neurological disease, right? I hope he recovers well," said Lin sincerely.

"We can only hope for the best," replied Uehara, a rare grave expression on his face.

**~x~**

An hour later, the two teams which finished all the food (and clandestinely poured some away) after much difficulty arrived at the central lounge, their faces all to a certain extent pale.

"Take a seat," Uehara gestured, and everyone sat around the table where a single cup resided. "So we heard, last year you guys played 'Truth or Dare' for icebreaker, right?"

Those who attended the winter training camp last year nodded their heads.

"This year, we will be playing the '**King's Game (1)**'. Since we aren't of age yet, we will be doing away with the drinking part as a whole and instead only carry out the drawing lots part of the game. Here are the lots," Uehara displayed the set of lots which they will be using for the game and asked, "Is there anyone who doesn't know how the game rolls?"

Silence.

"Alright then, before that, we will do our self-introduction in a roundabout manner. I'll start first. My name is Uehara Taiga, first year at Rikkai Dai High. I was the captain of the boys tennis team."

Following Uehara's self-introduction, Kobayashi said, "Kobayashi Yuuto, first year at Rikkai Dai High. I was the vice-captain."

"Saitou Lin, I'm a first year at Rikkai Dai High. Because our vice-captain transferred out of Rikkai Dai, I was roped into planning this camp. I used to be the treasurer."

"Hayazashi Yoko, first year at Rikkai Dai High and ex-captain."

…

Finally, after the self-introduction was completed, the 'King's Game' commenced.

The first person who drew the King's lot raised the alarm bell for majority of those seated in the room – it was Nio, Rikkai Dai's resident trickster.

"Number 2 and 4, do a dance not shorter than one and a half minute of your choice while shouting _'Rikkai Dai banzai!'_ for the duration of the dance."

Coming from the 'Trickster', this was surprisingly…innocent.

The unlucky number 2 and 4 were Penelope and Uehara.

Rising from her seat, Penelope asked Uehara, "Which song?" Being a foreign exchange student, Penelope wasn't bothered by the idea of dancing before her peers. Similarly, Uehara wasn't the typical conservative Asian.

Uehara shrugged his shoulders and took out his phone from his pocket, "I'll set my playlist to shuffle and we'll take the first song that comes up?"

"Okay," Penelope agreed readily.

So while jamming to 'Royals' by Lorde, Penelope and Uehara depleted their lung power shouting '_Rikkai Dai banzai!_' at the top of their lungs.

Next up, Uehara drew the King's lot. A smirk on his lips, he rapped his knuckle on the table and said, "Number 11 and 15, tell the person to your right a secret that they don't know about."

Nio grinned like a Cheshire Cat, Tsugi shuffled in her seat. Tilting his head towards Chisaki who was (un)fortunately seated to his right, Nio whispered something that caused the girl's topaz-coloured eyes to widen in shock. Laughing, he pulled back to his seat and crossed his arms over his lap.

When unspeaking, Nio could look prim and proper too.

Tsugi glanced at Leiko who was seated to her right. She had tons of secrets; some of which she wasn't proud to share. After a brief deliberation, Tsugi chose to disclose a relatively harmless secret about the time she was pulled a prank on her cousin Renji when they were young and till today her seamless crime has yet to be found out.

Leiko looked…vaguely impressed, and surprised that even someone like Tsugi could be so mischievous when she was young.

Soon, the clock struck 10 and taking the training for the next day into consideration; the high school seniors sent the two teams off to bed.

While walking along the length of the corridor, Kichi asked Chisaki curiously, "say, Chisaki, what did Nio tell you?"

While the rest of the team remained quiet, they too perked their ears at the chance of a juicy gossip. Disregarding age and personality, gossip was a girl's second nature.

"Ah?" Chisaki scratched her head, innocently spilling the beans, "he told me his address."

_Thud._

Nisaki walked straight into the wall.

"Ha?"

"What?"

"The heck he's thinking?"

"…I sense something."

"Chisaki, did he say anything else?" asked Tsugi, uncertainty in her voice. Her memories of that time Nio pranked her and the rest because they stalked (Tsugi cringed at the word; she didn't mean to be involved in that) him was still vivid in her mind.

Chisaki mulled over her memories for a moment, and she shook her head.

"Well then…congratulations for being the first person to be informed about Nio's address," Tsugi smiled, though…she wasn't really sure if that was a call for celebration.

"Thank you?" said Chisaki unsurely.

Tsugi looked at Chisaki with a woeful expression. Even Chisaki knew that being privy to Nio's secrets wasn't something to be celebrated.

"We're here, good night," said Leiko when they arrived outside room 201. As she took out the keys, Sayuki stepped out from the group too.

"Good bye, senpai-tachi," the youngest member of the girls team bowed formally and only entered the room after Leiko.

Looking at the back of the door, Tsugi appeared thoughtful. It was apparent that Sayuki had an extremely good upbringing. Her immaculate manners, the way she carried herself and her indiscriminate respect for those her senior said it all. Could this be the reason why she wasn't discovered by Hana last year?

Keeping that in mind, she continued walking down the length of the corridor and sending her teammates to their rooms. Once she was in her own room, she took turns using the bathroom with Kichi and after drying her hair, she soon fell asleep.

Tomorrow was when the real thing was starting.

**~x~**

Back in the central lounge, the high school seniors returned after all their juniors retreated back to their rooms.

"I'm quite satisfied by the looks of the girls team at the moment. My year was much more unruly than them," said Yoko as she made herself comfortable on a whole sofa, "how about the boys team?" Yoko grinned, teasing her male partners.

"Why ask when you already know the answer?" Kobayashi sighed, "They…aren't too bad, but could be better."

Better if Yukimura Seiichi was around.

"Don't you see it yet, Kobayashi?" Yoko poked at the fur ball on the cushion of the vintage sofa, "you and Uehara, Sanada and the team…all of you are depending too much on Yukimura Seiichi and that's the root of the problem. Without Yukimura Seiichi around, the team is like a vine without a supporting stand."

Kobayashi looked taken aback. His face flushed red; because he knew she was right.

"That's the downside to having someone so amazing in the team, I suppose…but Kobayashi, Yukimura Seiichi isn't here at the moment. And even without him, Rikkai Dai's boys tennis team must continue on," said Yoko, deep brown eyes steadily flickering like the flame of a candle.

"Hayazashi, you're someone I _never_ want as an enemy," Uehara suddenly interjected.

"Absolutely," Lin nodded in agreement.

Grinning, Yoko stretched herself, "then…don't antagonize me."

* * *

**(1) King's Game:** The legitimate Japanese 'King's Game' is a drinking game. In this story, I used a different variation of the 'King's Game'.


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